India becomes world's biggest market for bikes

India became the world’s biggest market for two-wheelers with a total of 17.7 million bikes sold in the last year.

With 48, 000 two-wheelers sold every day, India surpassed China’s 16.8 million units sold, according to the data provided by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.



The increased demand for two-wheelers in the country can be credited to women commuters as Honda generates 35% of its sales because of women.

“The need for mobility is very large in India, and we are one of the fastest developing economies in the world," said the senior vice-president of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, YS Guleria. "We will grow at around 9-11% over the coming years."

A top official at Hero MotoCorp, however, has a different take. He said the “growth of infrastructure in smaller towns and non-urban areas is helping demand”.

"The massive government spending in rural programmes and large road-construction projects is leading to a pick-up in volumes in smaller towns and villages," the official added.



"People are buying two-wheelers for shorter commute and errands, even if they have a car. It is difficult to move around in congested cities, and even more difficult to get a space to park. So, two-wheelers are increasingly becoming the second vehicles in the household," the official from Hero MotoCorp said on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile in China, the market seems to have fallen due to an increase in car sales and curb to petrol bikes.

According to the deputy director-general of SIAM, Sugato Sen, "Chinese market has been coming down from the highs of 25 million or so, reached a few years back."

This article originally appeared on The Times of India